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1126119

	registered interest
	date	13/05/2019
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Employment and Support Allowance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many employment and support allowance joint claimant cases there are where both claimants have an underlying entitlement to severe disability premium.
	tabling member constituency	Bristol South
	tabling member printed	Karin Smyth
	uin	253642
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/05/2019 answer text <p>A person would have to satisfy the Severe Disability Premium (SDP) qualifying conditions to be entitled to it.</p><p> </p><p>There are no ‘joint claims’ in income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA(IR)). Where a couple wishes to claim ESA(IR), they will need to decide which of them will be the ‘lead’ claimant, and claim on their partner’s behalf.</p><p /><p>Only the lead claimant has entitlement to a SDP. In couple cases, the SDP is not payable if the lead claimant does not meet the qualifying conditions, even if their partner does.</p><p> </p><p>The SDP is payable at the single rate where only the lead claimant meets the qualifying conditions. The couple rate is payable where both members of the couple meet the qualifying conditions – but only the lead claimant is entitled to it.</p><p /><p>In November 2018 there were 9,500 live couple cases of ESA(IR) where the lead claimant was in receipt of a SDP at the couple rate.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 21/05/2019 14:23:48 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4444 label Biography information for Karin Smyth

1126120

	registered interest
	date	13/05/2019
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Employment and Support Allowance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, since January 2019 how many universal credit claimants who had an underlying entitlement to severe disability premium (SDP) have not been able to claim employment and support allowance (ESA) following the death of a partner who was the lead claimant in a previous joint ESA claim and who also had entitlement to SDP.
	tabling member constituency	Bristol South
	tabling member printed	Karin Smyth
	uin	253643
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/05/2019 answer text <p>This information is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.</p><p /><p>Since the introduction of The Universal Credit (Transitional Provisions) (SDP Gateway) Amendment Regulations 2019, which came into force on 16th January 2019, claimants who are entitled, or have been within the last month, to an award of an existing benefit that includes Severe Disability Premium (SDP) have not been able to claim Universal Credit; even if they have experienced a relevant change in their circumstances, such as a partner’s death. These claimants continue to be able to maintain, or make, a claim to legacy benefits.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 21/05/2019 16:16:25 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4444 label Biography information for Karin Smyth

1124572

	registered interest
	date	02/05/2019
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Employment and Support Allowance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 26 July 2018 to Question 165571 on employment and support allowance, if she will take steps to include the cost of NHS prescription charges and school meals incurred by affected claimants in the underpayment review as recommended in paragraph 2.15 of the National Audit Office report, Investigation into Errors in Employment and Support Allowance, HC 837, published on 19 March 2018.
	tabling member constituency	Bethnal Green and Bow
	tabling member printed	Rushanara Ali
	uin	250469
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/05/2019 answer text <p>We are engaging with a number of authorities who are responsible for passported benefits to raise awareness of the ESA underpayment exercise and the potential issues arising from it. This will enable Departments to understand the impacts on passported benefits they administer.</p><p>DWP does not hold information on what people may or may not have claimed. Our focus is on making sure people receive the arrears of ESA they are entitled to.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 09/05/2019 15:23:00 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4138 label Biography information for Rushanara Ali

1124574

	registered interest
	date	02/05/2019
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Employment and Support Allowance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Written Statement of 21 February 2019, HCWS1348, whether her Department has notified local authorities of the details of the 58,000 employment and support allowance (ESA) claimants identified as having wrongly been awarded contribution-based ESA and not income-based ESA after being moved from incapacity benefit so that their entitlement to council tax support can be reassessed.
	tabling member constituency	Bethnal Green and Bow
	tabling member printed	Rushanara Ali
	uin	250471
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/05/2019 answer text As part of the ESA underpayment exercise we are informing Local Authorities of any new, past awards of income-related ESA in line with our business as usual procedures. This will support local authorities to consider further any possible impacts of the ESA underpayment exercise. answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 09/05/2019 15:23:14 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4138 label Biography information for Rushanara Ali

1124575

	registered interest
	date	02/05/2019
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Employment and Support Allowance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Written Statement of 21 February 2019, HCWS1348, how many additional claimants have been identified since 11 February 2019 as having been wrongly awarded contribution-based employment and support allowance (ESA) and not income-based ESA after being moved from incapacity benefit; and how much in ESA arrears has been paid to date.
	tabling member constituency	Bethnal Green and Bow
	tabling member printed	Rushanara Ali
	uin	250472
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/05/2019 answer text <p>The Department will be publishing an update of progress on checking cases potentially affected by underpayments of Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) on conversion from previous incapacity benefits on the 16 May 2019.</p><p> </p><p>This publication has been pre-announced here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/announcements/esa-underpayments-progress-on-checking" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/announcements/esa-underpayments-progress-on-checking</a></p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson grouped question UIN 250473 question first answered 09/05/2019 15:03:40 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4138 label Biography information for Rushanara Ali

1124576

	registered interest
	date	02/05/2019
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Employment and Support Allowance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Written Statement of 21 February 2019, HCWS1348, how many employment and support allowance (ESA) claimants who have been reassessed for that benefit after being identified as having been wrongly awarded contribution-based ESA and not income-based ESA after being moved from incapacity benefit have been reassessed as not entitled to that benefit; and how many people have not yet been reassessed.
	tabling member constituency	Bethnal Green and Bow
	tabling member printed	Rushanara Ali
	uin	250473
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/05/2019 answer text <p>The Department will be publishing an update of progress on checking cases potentially affected by underpayments of Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) on conversion from previous incapacity benefits on the 16 May 2019.</p><p> </p><p>This publication has been pre-announced here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/announcements/esa-underpayments-progress-on-checking" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/announcements/esa-underpayments-progress-on-checking</a></p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson grouped question UIN 250472 question first answered 09/05/2019 15:03:40 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4138 label Biography information for Rushanara Ali

1121933

	registered interest
	date	18/04/2019
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Employment and Support Allowance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 8 April 2019 to Question 239928 on Employment and Support Allowance, when she plans to complete her update of the ESA65B letter.
	tabling member constituency	Motherwell and Wishaw
	tabling member printed	Marion Fellows
	uin	245846
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/04/2019 answer text <p>I refer the right honourable member to Parliamentary Question <a href="https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-questions-answers/?page=1&amp;max=20&amp;questiontype=AllQuestions&amp;house=commons%2clords&amp;uin=242946" target="_blank">242946</a> answered on 15<sup>th</sup> April 2019.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 25/04/2019 12:51:18 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4440 label Biography information for Marion Fellows

1121934

	registered interest
	date	18/04/2019
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Employment and Support Allowance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 8 April 2019 to Question 239928 on Employment and Support Allowance, which medical organisations she is consulting to advise on the updating of the ESA65B letter.
	tabling member constituency	Motherwell and Wishaw
	tabling member printed	Marion Fellows
	uin	245847
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/04/2019 answer text <p>The Department is consulting the British Medical Association and the Royal College of General Practitioners on the revised wording of the ESA65B letter.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 25/04/2019 12:35:23 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4440 label Biography information for Marion Fellows

1121966

	registered interest
	date	18/04/2019
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Employment and Support Allowance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 16 May 2018 to Question 142518 on Employment and Support Allowance, whether any subsequent changes have been made to the ESA65B letter to inform doctors that they should continue to provide fit notes for claimants if they are appealing a decision or their condition worsens.
	tabling member constituency	Kilmarnock and Loudoun
	tabling member printed	Alan Brown
	uin	245887
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/04/2019 answer text <p>I refer the right honourable member to Parliamentary Question <a href="https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-questions-answers/?page=1&amp;max=20&amp;questiontype=AllQuestions&amp;house=commons%2clords&amp;uin=239928" target="_blank">239928</a> answered on 8<sup>th</sup> April 2019.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 29/04/2019 13:26:00 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4470 label Biography information for Alan Brown

1122045

	registered interest
	date	18/04/2019
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Employment and Support Allowance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many ESA65B letters her Department has sent to GPs in 2018.
	tabling member constituency	Oxford West and Abingdon
	tabling member printed	Layla Moran
	uin	245962
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/04/2019 answer text <p>The ESA65B letter is sent to GPs when an Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) claimant has been found fit for work following a Work Capability Assessment (WCA), to inform them of the outcome of the WCA and advise them that fit notes are no longer required for ESA purposes.</p><p> </p><p>The ESA65B is computer generated and the action of sending it out is a ‘business as usual’ process. As a result, we do not hold the information required to calculate the number of staff used to issue this type of letter.</p><p> </p><p>Furthermore, due to the volumes of different letters issued by the Department to claimants and third parties, we are unable to provide a figure for how many ESA65B letters were sent to GPs in 2018.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson grouped question UIN 245963 245964 question first answered 25/04/2019 11:59:14 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4656 label Biography information for Layla Moran

1122046

	registered interest
	date	18/04/2019
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Employment and Support Allowance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse of her Department posting ESA65B letters to GPs in 2018.
	tabling member constituency	Oxford West and Abingdon
	tabling member printed	Layla Moran
	uin	245963
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/04/2019 answer text <p>The ESA65B letter is sent to GPs when an Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) claimant has been found fit for work following a Work Capability Assessment (WCA), to inform them of the outcome of the WCA and advise them that fit notes are no longer required for ESA purposes.</p><p> </p><p>The ESA65B is computer generated and the action of sending it out is a ‘business as usual’ process. As a result, we do not hold the information required to calculate the number of staff used to issue this type of letter.</p><p> </p><p>Furthermore, due to the volumes of different letters issued by the Department to claimants and third parties, we are unable to provide a figure for how many ESA65B letters were sent to GPs in 2018.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson grouped question UIN 245962 245964 question first answered 25/04/2019 11:59:14 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4656 label Biography information for Layla Moran

1122047

	registered interest
	date	18/04/2019
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Employment and Support Allowance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the number of staff hours that were used by her Department to issue ESA65B letters to GPs in 2018.
	tabling member constituency	Oxford West and Abingdon
	tabling member printed	Layla Moran
	uin	245964
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/04/2019 answer text <p>The ESA65B letter is sent to GPs when an Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) claimant has been found fit for work following a Work Capability Assessment (WCA), to inform them of the outcome of the WCA and advise them that fit notes are no longer required for ESA purposes.</p><p> </p><p>The ESA65B is computer generated and the action of sending it out is a ‘business as usual’ process. As a result, we do not hold the information required to calculate the number of staff used to issue this type of letter.</p><p> </p><p>Furthermore, due to the volumes of different letters issued by the Department to claimants and third parties, we are unable to provide a figure for how many ESA65B letters were sent to GPs in 2018.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson grouped question UIN 245962 245963 question first answered 25/04/2019 11:59:14 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4656 label Biography information for Layla Moran

1121343

	registered interest
	date	11/04/2019
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Employment and Support Allowance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential benefits of reducing the current £16,000 savings threshold for entitlement to Employment and Support Allowance.
	tabling member constituency	Glasgow North
	tabling member printed	Patrick Grady
	uin	244145
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/04/2019 answer text <p>We have no plans to change the capital rule on income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).</p><p>Entitlement to contributory ESA is not affected by the amount of capital a person has.</p><p> </p><p>The current upper capital limit strikes a balance between protecting less well-off people and protecting the taxpayer, whilst at the same time recognising the conscientious efforts of people who have built up capital. This limit ensures that the help which comes from taxpayers, many of whom are themselves on low incomes and have limited capital, is directed to people who need it most.</p><p>The effect of reducing the savings threshold would be that fewer claimants would be entitled to ESA.</p><p /> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 24/04/2019 10:27:59 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4432 label Biography information for Patrick Grady

1110649

	registered interest
	date	09/04/2019
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Employment and Support Allowance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to her letter of 4 April 2019, in what time frame she will complete updating the current ESA65B letter with input from medical organisations.
	tabling member constituency	Battersea
	tabling member printed	Marsha De Cordova
	uin	242946
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/04/2019 answer text <p>We expect the revised version to be delivered by Summer 2019.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 15/04/2019 10:39:43 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4676 label Biography information for Marsha De Cordova

1109936

	registered interest
	date	05/04/2019
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Employment and Support Allowance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether a claimant of employment support allowance that received a health assessment report audited by her Department is entitled to the (a) original and (b) audited report.
	tabling member constituency	Motherwell and Wishaw
	tabling member printed	Marion Fellows
	uin	241449
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/04/2019 answer text <p>If a claimant requests a copy of their assessment report they are entitled to receive it. Where an assessment report has been reviewed or reworked by DWP the claimant will receive copies of both the original and audited versions. Please note, the audited version of an assessment report is different from the Auditor's Report produced by the Department about the Assessment Provider. Claimants are not entitled to see Auditor's Reports.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 10/04/2019 09:44:26 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4440 label Biography information for Marion Fellows

1109161

	registered interest
	date	02/04/2019
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Employment and Support Allowance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which bodies record how many ESA65B letters have been sent to GPs in (a) the Brighton and Hove area (b) other areas since the wording of that letter was revised; and if he will take steps to obtain and publish that information.
	tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
	tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
	uin	239929
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/04/2019 answer text <p>The Department does not hold information on the number of ESA65B letters sent to GPs.</p><p>The ESA65B letter is normally automatically issued to GPs by the Department’s IT system in every case where an Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) claimant has been found ‘fit for work’ following a Work Capability Assessment (WCA).</p><p>If a claimant states that they do not agree to information about the determination of their WCA being shared with their GP, the claim will be maintained clerically and the papers noted that the letter is not to be issued.</p><p>The latest ESA statistics, which show the number of claimants found fit for work, can be found here:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/esa-outcomes-of-work-capability-assessments-including-mandatory-reconsiderations-and-appeals-march-2019" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/esa-outcomes-of-work-capability-assessments-including-mandatory-reconsiderations-and-appeals-march-2019</a></p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 08/04/2019 16:18:41 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

1107836

	registered interest
	date	29/03/2019
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Employment and Support Allowance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many ESA65B letters have been sent to GPs since the wording of that letter was revised, in each month in (a) 2018 and (b) 2019.
	tabling member constituency	Battersea
	tabling member printed	Marsha De Cordova
	uin	238682
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/04/2019 answer text <p>The Department does not hold information on the number of ESA65B letters sent to GPs.</p><p> </p><p>The ESA65B letter is automatically issued by the IT system to GPs in every case where an Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) claimant has been found ‘fit for work’.</p><p> </p><p>Link to the latest ESA statistics:</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/esa-outcomes-of-work-capability-assessments-including-mandatory-reconsiderations-and-appeals-march-2019" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/esa-outcomes-of-work-capability-assessments-including-mandatory-reconsiderations-and-appeals-march-2019</a></p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 03/04/2019 16:31:18 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4676 label Biography information for Marsha De Cordova

1105563

	registered interest
	date	27/03/2019
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Employment and Support Allowance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 16 May 2018 to Question 142517 on employment support allowance, which Minister authorised revisions to the wording of ESA65B letters to claimants’ GPs.
	tabling member constituency	Liverpool, West Derby
	tabling member printed	Stephen Twigg
	uin	237581
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/04/2019 answer text <p>The Department routinely works with the Cabinet Office, other government departments and stakeholders to ensure its claimant communications are as clear as possible. The final wording in such communications is authorised by DWP Ministers or officials acting on their behalf.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson grouped question UIN 237582 237583 question first answered 05/04/2019 12:25:08 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	167 label Biography information for Stephen Twigg

1105564

	registered interest
	date	27/03/2019
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Employment and Support Allowance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 16 May 2018 to Question 142517, whether the Cabinet Secretary has issued any further ministerial requirements in relation to the ESA65B letters to employment support allowance claimants’ GPs after the initial requirement in November 2014.
	tabling member constituency	Liverpool, West Derby
	tabling member printed	Stephen Twigg
	uin	237582
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/04/2019 answer text <p>The Department routinely works with the Cabinet Office, other government departments and stakeholders to ensure its claimant communications are as clear as possible. The final wording in such communications is authorised by DWP Ministers or officials acting on their behalf.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson grouped question UIN 237581 237583 question first answered 05/04/2019 12:25:08 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	167 label Biography information for Stephen Twigg

1105567

	registered interest
	date	27/03/2019
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Employment and Support Allowance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 21 March 2018 to Question 132727, for what reason the revised wording of the ESA65B letters to employment support allowance claimants’ GPs was implemented by a ministerial requirement issued by the Cabinet Secretary instead of the Permanent Secretary of her Department; and if she will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Liverpool, West Derby
	tabling member printed	Stephen Twigg
	uin	237583
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/04/2019 answer text <p>The Department routinely works with the Cabinet Office, other government departments and stakeholders to ensure its claimant communications are as clear as possible. The final wording in such communications is authorised by DWP Ministers or officials acting on their behalf.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson grouped question UIN 237581 237582 question first answered 05/04/2019 12:25:08 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	167 label Biography information for Stephen Twigg

1091226

	registered interest
	date	19/03/2019
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Employment and Support Allowance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when Ministers authorised a change to the ESA65B letter to GPs telling them there is no longer a need for them to supply fit notes to their patients who had been found fit for work through a Work Capability Assessment.
	tabling member constituency	Oldham East and Saddleworth
	tabling member printed	Debbie Abrahams
	uin	234145
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/03/2019 answer text <p>I refer the Honourable Member to the response given on 6 June 2018 to Parliamentary Question 146986.</p><p> </p><p>The original internal recommendation to change the ESA65B letter was in summer 2016.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 22/03/2019 14:15:49 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4212 label Biography information for Debbie Abrahams

1091227

	registered interest
	date	19/03/2019
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Employment and Support Allowance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many sick and disabled people have lost social security support payments whilst they appealed their work capability assessment as a result of GPs receiving the amended ESA65B letter; and what savings to the public purse have accrued as a result of stopped social security support arising from that change.
	tabling member constituency	Oldham East and Saddleworth
	tabling member printed	Debbie Abrahams
	uin	234146
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/03/2019 answer text <p>Claimants should not experience a loss of benefit in this situation.</p><p> </p><p>Claimants can be paid Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) whilst appealing a decision, the rate of which is equivalent to that of Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA). In order for someone to be paid ESA pending an appeal they need to provide the Department with fit notes in order to be treated as having Limited Capability for Work until the appeal is determined. However, this doesn’t apply where the claimant fails a second Work Capability Assessment. Where this is the case then ESA will not be paid pending the appeal and the claimant would need to claim new style Jobseeker’s Allowance (NSJSA) or Universal Credit (UC).</p><p> </p><p>If a claimant’s GP does not provide them with a fit note during the appeal period they cannot be paid ESA but are able to claim UC or NSJSA where eligible.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 22/03/2019 13:09:22 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4212 label Biography information for Debbie Abrahams

1091228

	registered interest
	date	19/03/2019
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Employment and Support Allowance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the effect of the changes to her Department's ESA65B letter to GPs on employment and support allowance claimants.
	tabling member constituency	Oldham East and Saddleworth
	tabling member printed	Debbie Abrahams
	uin	234147
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/03/2019 answer text <p>The Department is committed to ensuring all of its communications are clear, accurate and understandable and we continuously improve our letters. We do not routinely evaluate changes to external communications, however we do engage regularly with the welfare benefits advice sector and disability charities and take into account all of the feedback we receive.</p><p> </p><p>We have received comments from a number of sources including MPs, stakeholder organisations and GPs on the current version of the ESA65B letter and will take all of their feedback into account when revising it.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 22/03/2019 13:17:06 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4212 label Biography information for Debbie Abrahams

1087162

	registered interest
	date	12/03/2019
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Employment and Support Allowance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which budget is being used to rectify underpayments of employment and support allowance is being drawn.
	tabling member constituency	Airdrie and Shotts
	tabling member printed	Neil Gray
	uin	231501
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/03/2019 answer text <p>The cost of administrative activity is drawn from the Resource Departmental Expenditure Limit budget and payment of arrears from the Resource Annually Managed Expenditure budget.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 19/03/2019 10:40:37 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4365 label Biography information for Neil Gray

422000

	registered interest
	date	16/10/2015
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Employment and Support Allowance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 14 October 2015 to Question 11270, for what reason it was decided to make the provision of audio recording facilities available for employment and support allowance assessments but not for personal independence payment assessments.
	tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Hall Green
	tabling member printed	Mr Roger Godsiff
	uin	12212
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/10/2015 answer text <p>In his first review of the Work Capability Assessment, Professor Harrington recommended piloting the audio recording of face-to-face assessments to see if the approach was helpful for clients and improved quality.</p><p>Findings from the pilot showed that recording assessments did not improve the quality of assessments. Less than half those claimants taking part thought the recording would be helpful to them and only a handful requested a copy. Having carefully considered the results of the pilot, it was decided not to make the provision of audio recording of assessments a contractual requirement within the specification for Personal Independence Payment (PIP).</p><p>However, claimants who wish to record their PIP assessment may do so using their own equipment provided they comply with the conditions put in place; these were outlined in the response provided to your previous question on this subject on 9 September 2015.</p><p><br></p><br /> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 21/10/2015 14:59:43 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	304 label Biography information for Mr Roger Godsiff

389341

	registered interest
	date	13/07/2015
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Employment and Support Allowance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the support component of employment and support allowance is excluded from calculations of a household's income for the purposes of the benefit cap under the provisions proposed in the Welfare Reform and Work Bill.
	tabling member constituency	Islington South and Finsbury
	tabling member printed	Emily Thornberry
	uin	6708
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/07/2015 answer text <p>The Government set out its assessment of the impacts of the policies in the Welfare Reform and Work Bill on 20th July. A link to the impact assessment on the <a href="http://www.parliament.uk/" target="_blank">www.parliament.uk</a> website is included.</p><p><a href="http://www.parliament.uk/documents/impact-assessments/IA15-006.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.parliament.uk/documents/impact-assessments/IA15-006.pdf</a></p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson grouped question UIN 6702 6704 question first answered 21/07/2015 16:12:19 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	1536 label Biography information for Emily Thornberry

385476

	registered interest
	date	24/06/2015
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Employment and Support Allowance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many employment and support allowance claimants had Social Fund Loan repayments wrongly deducted from their benefits in each year since 2010; and how many of those deductions were due to (a) prior full loan repayment and (b) non-existence of the loan.
	tabling member constituency	Leicester South
	tabling member printed	Jonathan Ashworth
	uin	4173
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/06/2015 answer text <p /> <p>The Department does not collect this information.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 29/06/2015 16:31:19 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4244 label Biography information for Jonathan Ashworth

385164

	registered interest
	date	23/06/2015
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Employment and Support Allowance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of decisions on employment and support allowance applications have been overturned (a) at the mandatory reconsideration stage and (b) by tribunal in the last 12 months.
	tabling member constituency	Ellesmere Port and Neston
	tabling member printed	Justin Madders
	uin	3836
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/06/2015 answer text <p /> <p>Information on mandatory reconsiderations of benefit decisions was released on 17<sup>th</sup> December 2014. This was an ad-hoc release of experimental statistics on MR requests made between 28<sup>th</sup>October 2013 and 31<sup>st</sup> October 2014. It gives an overview of mandatory reconsideration requests across all benefits recorded on DWP’s operational systems, and a focused summary on Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). This data can be found here:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/mandatory-reconsiderations-of-dwp-benefit-decisions-data-to-october-2014" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/mandatory-reconsiderations-of-dwp-benefit-decisions-data-to-october-2014</a></p><p> </p><p>DWP statisticians are looking to include statistics for the entire ESA Work Capability Assessment (WCA) process into the existing regular statistical publication, including information on Mandatory Reconsiderations outcomes. However before DWP is able to do this statisticians need to make sure that the data is accurate and fit for purpose and develop a robust methodology. When a decision has been made on improvements to the ESA WCA regular statistical publication we will pre-announce the improvements in accordance with the UKSA release protocols.</p><p> </p><p>The latest appeal statistics available, published by the Ministry of Justice, which includes data on ESA appeals received and cleared, can be found here at Tables 1.4 &amp; 2.7:</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/tribunals-and-gender-recognition-certificate-statistics-quarterly-january-to-march-2015" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/tribunals-and-gender-recognition-certificate-statistics-quarterly-january-to-march-2015</a></p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 29/06/2015 16:20:58 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4418 label Biography information for Justin Madders

348723

	registered interest
	date	05/06/2015
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Employment and Support Allowance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average cost is of (a) a reconsideration of and (b) an appeal against a decision on an employment and support allowance claim.
	tabling member constituency	Wrexham
	tabling member printed	Ian C. Lucas
	uin	1298
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2015 answer text <p>The Information requested is not available for Personal Independence Payment.</p><p> </p><p>For Employment Support Allowance the average cost of processing</p><p> </p><p>a Mandatory Reconsideration is: £108</p><p> </p><p>an appeal to the Department for Work and Pensions is: £135</p><p> </p><p>The average cost of processing an appeal to the Tribunals Service is £214.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson grouped question UIN 1297 question first answered 10/06/2015 16:26:52 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	1470 label Biography information for Ian C. Lucas

347424

	registered interest
	date	29/05/2015
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Employment and Support Allowance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of people who (a) receive the work-related activity component of employment and support allowance, (b) have a child aged under one and (c) are living in temporary accommodation who will be affected by a reduction of the benefit cap to £23,000.
	tabling member constituency	East Ham
	tabling member printed	Stephen Timms
	uin	506
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/06/2015 answer text <p /> <p>We will publish a full Impact Assessment in due course.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 03/06/2015 16:39:15 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	163 label Biography information for Sir Stephen Timms